Not much . . .

So, what have I been doing? I think to myself . . . not much. Until just a week or so ago we were still having snow almost daily and the temperature hardly broke out of the 30's. Oh, and yes . . .it is past the middle of April! Today is April 25th! I've been experiencing a feeling of being in suspended animation or limbo. I certainly can find a lot of things to do inside my home. The work inside is always there. You know. Cleaning, organizing, purging, cooking (maybe), . . . just the everyday stuff we all do. But everyone in the county has been waiting for the day when we can don a hoodie and head outside to do whatever it is we love to do on a warm spring day. For me, it is a garden tour and some raking. A few flowers have made their way through the soil already and they are hardy enough to take the weather we've been having. The tulip leaves are growing, but there won't be flowers for several weeks. My crocuses are very confused. First they came up and had warm sunshine on them, which made them open. Then they were buried under snow, only to see daylight a few more days before they were covered in about a quarter inch of ice. But, as I look out the window at them, they are still standing . . . and are staying closed because it is a dark and rainy day . . . after two glorious spring-like days in a row! It is 50 degrees, which feels quite warm as long as the wind stays down. The other plants that I have seen making their way through the earth are the bleeding hearts that we planted last year. They are just little ruffled purple leaves popping up, but I am thrilled they have survived their first winter. On Sunday I was able to rake out some leaves from the garden beds. The fragile leaves of the daffodils and allium can't take much tugging with a rake, but I have a handy little shrub rake that doesn't tear everything to shreds! There is plenty more to do, but half an hour here and half an hour there makes a difference. I am taking it easy after lying low all winter after recovering from surgery.

Some of the beautiful crocuses that line our front walkway.
They seem to have doubled in size and quantity this spring.
I am thinking it may be due, in part, to using Miracle Grow on the flower beds last summer. :-)
You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

Over the past couple weeks, my husband and I have been taking our continuing education classes for our real estate licenses, which are required every two years. There should be an uptick in the real estate market with the onset of better weather. It happens every spring in this part of the country. That will keep us busy . . . or, I should say . . . busier! :-)

Artwork and learning different techniques is how I have been spending my studio hours. I belong to a group on Facebook, Artful Evidence, that provides a fun way to learn new things and create art. You can see in the photos below just what I have been playing around with. #ArtfulEvidence



The challenge for the week was "masks".
I wasn't quite sure what to do, since using a mask in artwork was new to me. My combination of a dress form die and some die cut wings didn't quite suit me, though. It reminded me a little of a Rorschach test image! #artfulevidence
You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

I am such a creature of habit.
I will try to make something that I don't know how to make . . . thinking that it will somehow turn out OK.
See above photo for proof of my foible!
However, after some research, the right materials and time, I was able to actually achieve the result that a mask is supposed to provide. Similar to the way masking tape works for painting around windows, you can use a mask in artwork to cover the background and paint or stamp over the mask. #artfulevidence
You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

The challenge for the week was "flourishes."
I had rediscovered the glittered chipboard flourishes during a recent stash reorganization.
Knowing how to use a mask, I employed the technique for the background and used a favorite stamp, florals, a metal tag, a little frame with the back removed, and a stickpin that I received in a swap a few years ago.
The image and the sentiment were something I saved from a gift that my husband gave me for Christmas. I knew I would find a use for them, . . . in addition to the lovely gloves that came with the tag! ;-) My husband often jokes with me that he could just give me the ribbons and pretty paper and forget the gift inside! #artfulevidence
You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

And . . . there is a quilt in my sewing room that is waiting for me. It has a story that goes along with it, but then I think every quilt has a story, right? The story will wait for now. I'd like to have the quilt finished when I tell its' story. :-)

This will be a sweet old-fashioned looking quilt.
The colors are soft and there is not a lot of contrast, except for the reddish-pink pinwheel and the navy blue sashing.
Now that it is out of storage and hanging here for me to see every day, I am excited to work on it.
Hopefully the top will be complete within a few weeks and I can take it to the quilt shop to have it custom quilted.
I don't machine quilt bed-sized quilts anymore, and I certainly don't hand quilt much anymore, either!

I'm having what I love to call a "home day" today. I am alone in the house, going from room to room doing those little things that often call to me as I walk by, but I ignore. I try to remember never to leave a room empty handed and to put things back when I find them. But . . . you know . . . that doesn't always happen! I have two boxes ready to donate to the Salvation Army and two more ready to begin filling. It is so convenient for us to donate to the Salvation Army because we can schedule the pickup online and they will come to our house to get everything! We don't need to trudge the boxes out to the car and into to the thrift store. It is good, too, because it gives us a goal to work toward when we know the date they will be here.


So, even though it feels like I haven't been doing much, I guess I have been doing enough. I am tired when my head hits the pillow and I am able to sleep through the night. I must be doing enough to tire myself out!


I hope you are enjoying springtime and even when you feel like you are not really doing much, that you can be satisfied in knowing you really are doing enough. We really don't need to fill our days with being busy to be happy and successful. I find it to be quite the opposite. I am happy when I slow down a little and I stop to smell the flowers. Thank you for stopping by to read this post. As always, your questions and comments are welcome.  And until we meet again,  may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.


Emmy